Police do not evoke fear today: Parrikar

Panaji, July 21 (IANS) Police evoke no fear today, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday, claiming that when he was young he would even avoid walking on the same footpath which passed by a police station.

“Today there is no fear of police. I used to be scared of police and walk on the other side of the road to avoid the police station,” Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly, while responding to a private member resolution by Congress leader Pratapsingh Rane.

Parrikar said that police were not feared now because there is a lot pressure on them in the form of enquiries for fear of slightest dereliction.

“There are many commissions, SPCA (state police complaints authority), Human Rights, is there. No doubt police should strictly follow the law. Filing of cases takes a lot of toll on police manpower and their attitude. I’ve seen criminals filing cases against police in SPCA. There has to be some pressure of the police,” Parrikar also said.